Christmas Projection Light Project - Fix or Junk It?
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- čas přidán 14. 12. 2018
- I had a fairly new Christmas projector light start acting up on me recently. I decided I was going to either try and fix it, or tear it apart & see how it works. Worst case scenario I may get a few more parts & pieces for the parts bin.
I had my own adventure with this model of light. It was either busted out of the box or broke after a season. I was able to fix it just by replacing a bad LED on it. I made a video on how to do that in case it helps anyone (hope you don't mind me posting it Shawn): czcams.com/video/LR3guG5GUx0/video.html
No worries about posting the vid!
I have one left that I may need to repair this year. Thanks!
Some people need to stop making videos and wasting time we can’t get back! Chinese tools? Upgrade your work bench. Get some real tools.
Thanks for your 2 cents.
Not everyone can afford "real tools." Especially when they aren't needed very often.
Nobody forced you to watch this video, you wasted your own time. Have a good day
Thanks for posting, saved me some time! I was about to go into mine, now I’ll just cut the cord.
That's what I ended up doing; scrapping the cord for another project. The internals are junk.
But I got 2 that hat been going strong for years now.
Thanks for watching & commenting!
I did keep the LED ring and driver too for a another possible project
I bought 3 of them 3 years ago and one decided to go really dim. I was trying to figure out how to get into it and found your video. Good stuff! I just cut it open after watching and trying to figure a use for the motor. I’ll put it up and sooner or later..... Have a Merry Christmas!
@@dougindixie3829 Thanks! You have a merry Christmas as well!
The unit I have indicates bad LEDs, but to take apart, use a T10 torx to remove the (3) screws holding the assembly together (main black housing holding the lens assembly). Use a good quality torx (S2 steel) to remove because they are screwed in tightly and small torx may strip. I haven't fully got into the assembly.
So watching your vid was funny with your description of the possible type of nut that is recessed holding the light fixture. The bottom screw that holds the ground steak has the same type of nut to it. Which I found out while going through my toolbox that it's a hex head T10 type screw. it worked for pulling that one out but you can't get to the other ones because the T10 screw bit is too big. If you can find a long skinny T10 screw bit 6cqn open these up! Thanks for the idea!
I believe you're right about the T10 bit. I don't and didnt have a long one at the time. That's one of those tools you'll pay dearly for, but worth every penny when you need it.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Given that this video has over 6K views - Canadian Tire should take note that they seriously need to get some QA on these or rethink their parts. I bought 3 in 2019, 1 which was defective out of the box (if I recall, it didn't spin - just made a hum noise)... now I've got one that makes a ratchety motor sound no matter the angle. I was trying to open it but after watching this, I've decided I'll just use it as an indoor party light when there's loud music playing. Thanks for saving me alot of time and showing us what's inside.... Not sure I would have been able to fix the motor noise issue, but at least I got some mileage out of it in the Christmas drum cover I posted on my channel!
Lol thanks!
Funny thing is, this video was never meant to be. I did it pretty much goofing off one afternoon and a year later, it's my most watched video.
I'll only buy these on clearance after this one lasted less than a year.
I started to try n fix mine and decided to search utube. Found this video. As result I’m trashing mine. Tfs.
Yeh, definitely not worth fixing. But was interesting to see how it worked.
You think there's an easy way to stop the spinning motor without complete disassembly? I bought these thinking you could turn that function off, as I prefer the still lights over swirling.
No. They are tied together. I wish I could have done this without tearing it apart.
So I have several of these in different colors that I bought last year. The Green one and the Orange one have stopped work and both do the same thing. When I plug them in I can hear the motor turning and I can see the plastic reflector turning inside, but I get no lights. Just for the hell of it I did change the 5amp fuse in the plug but they still do the same thing. Here's the interesting part. When I unplug them I get a green or orange flash for about 1 or 2 seconds. It looks like the leds are attempting to light up. It appears there is no ability to do any maintenance on these based on your video. So I guess these are just trash at this point.
Its possibly the led driver that turns the 120V down to a stable DC voltage. They can be replaced, but you can get a new light cheaper on after Christmas sales.
@@OutdoorsWithShawn Thanks Shawn, that's kind of what I was thinking. Just so frustrating the quality of stuff now. can't even get two years out this crap.
@@bambamnj this one lasted 2 weeks! O well, lesson learned.
But the other 2 are going strong. I guess its luck of the draw with them.
Had the same problem with this kinda light. Tried replacing the fuse, probably better off buying new or different ones
I've given up on fixing them; not worth my time & hassle. I try and buy them the day after Christmas when they're on good sales, so I have a few spares now. About the only thing I salvage off them is maybe the cords.
Now I have a better idea on how these work. Thanks.
Glad I could help.
I realized when I didn't have the triangle bit to take it apart... It was just an exploratory thing after that and it didn't matter if I tore it up.
@@OutdoorsWithShawn I remember when I was in the midst of retiring my Samsonite luggage with a power saw, and the back of my mind was still thinking about fixing it :)
Last night my Gemmy Blue LED Projection light stopped displaying. Can hear and see the motor running, spinning...no light! What sucks is I've bought the Gemmy hanging kaleidoscopes and the stake versions, and some of them keep going while 3 ( and counting? ) were DUDS, i.e. lasted only for a couple or more months. Pieces of Poo!
P.S. - BTW: The beard, corn pipe, music and graphics are cool.
That's pretty much how this one was doing. I've had so-so luck on them. So I'm at the point I won't buy one at full price.
The other one I got, the same time as this one, is steady going and it's over 2yrs old now.
@@OutdoorsWithShawn I've enjoyed Gemmy products overall throughout the years, but...if the success rate on this type of light from them is around 50%, hey, I'm at the place in life where my $$$ matters a lot more to me. This is some piss-poor quality. Again...three have gone out on me in weeks/months. But, I'm gonna give it a try to fix my recent dud, because I hate losing! Haha. Oh, and I think I'm gonna call Gemmy up directly and see what they say. ( Another company sent me a replacement Halloween product when I simply made the call and told them their product petered out. So...never know. )
I thought about giving them a call and see what they would do. But I had lost my receipt for it. After that, I started keeping my lights n holiday decor reciepts... until a hurricane tore up my shed and all my receipts got soaked.
@@OutdoorsWithShawn Oh, wow! That'll do it. Still, doesn't hurt to try. If either of us does, maybe post the results here? If you'd rather not, I respect that. Your channel.
I'll see what I can find out
Ha. I would have junked it when globe didn't screw off...lol
I almost did just that.
I should have been a mechanical engineer as I'm always trying to figure out things work. I wanted to know how this worked and maybe salvage some parts off of it. Got some LED lights off it for another project in the works.
I junked mine. Lol
Yeh, I almost did that.
I figured I'd either fix it or get a part or two off it and junk the rest.
A simple torx screwdriver and you wouldn't have had to cut anything
It wasn't a torx bit in there if I remember correctly. I have plenty of those and none fit. It was either a triangle bit or a thin wall type bit that people rarely have.
I remember now:
The head was in the globe and the nut was were I could get to it (in the recess). But I didn't have a socket with a thin enough wall to get in there.
Yeah, the globe assembly is 1 whole piece, screwed from the inside. It only holds the globe together to the base and it's not screwed to the main black housing. If you use a T10 torx screwdriver, you remove the entire globe and base in 1 shot and get directly to the internals.
Usually the LEDs burn out on those and needs to be replaced. In your case the motor was the cause, so not much you can do other than use it for parts for another one.